Men being cared for by female relatives main reason more women use nursing homes

Nursing Homes Ireland CEO Tadhg Daly, minister of state, Kieran O' Donnell, Nursing Homes Ireland chair Jillian van Turnhout addressed regional inequality in access to nursing homes at the conference. Picture: Nursing Homes Ireland

The main reason why there are 50% to 80% fewer men than women in nursing homes is that men are looked after at home by wives or female relatives, the Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) conference has been told.

Regional inequality in access to nursing homes was also raised, along with a projected need for up to 20,000 new beds over 15 years.